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| Aurel Joliat | |
|---|---|
| Name | Aurel Joliat |
| Caption | Aurel Joliat with the Montreal Canadiens |
| Birth date | July 29, 1901 |
| Birth place | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Death date | June 2, 1986 |
| Death place | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Position | Left wing |
| Played for | Montreal Canadiens |
| Shoots | Left |
| Weight lb | 134 |
| Career start | 1922 |
| Career end | 1938 |
Aurel Joliat was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger notable for a long tenure with the Montreal Canadiens during the early National Hockey League era. A diminutive but tenacious skater, he became one of the era's leading scorers and a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, contributing to multiple Stanley Cup championships. His career intersected with many prominent figures and institutions in North American hockey and sport during the 1920s and 1930s.
Born in Ottawa to a family of French-Canadian heritage, Joliat grew up in the Ottawa Valley near communities connected to Hull, Quebec and Gatineau. He played youth hockey on local rinks influenced by clubs such as Ottawa Senators (original) and extracurricular sports connected to the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Early exposure included competitions in leagues associated with Quebec and Ontario amateur circuits, and he developed alongside contemporaries from regions tied to the Laurentians and the Outaouais sporting culture. His formative years coincided with national events including World War I demobilization and the rise of professional leagues like the National Hockey League.
Joliat began his professional journey with stints tied to teams and organizations connected to the Montreal Canadiens organization, joining the Canadiens' roster under the direction of executives who had ties to franchises like the Toronto St. Patricks and the Boston Bruins. He debuted in the NHL in the early 1920s during a period that featured players from clubs including the New York Rangers, Chicago Black Hawks, and Detroit Cougars. Across his career he skated against prominent forwards and defensemen such as Howie Morenz, Lester Patrick, King Clancy, and Eddie Shore. Joliat contributed to Montreal's Stanley Cup victories that placed him alongside teammates like Sylvio Mantha, George Hainsworth, Babe Siebert, and Newsy Lalonde in the Canadiens' storied lineage.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s he played in matchups at arenas like the Montreal Forum and venues hosting squads such as the Pittsburgh Pirates (NHL), St. Louis Eagles, and Philadelphia Quakers (NHL), and he competed in seasons shaped by league governance from boards with links to figures such as Frank Calder. His statistical achievements placed him among scoring leaders in seasons that involved competition with talents like Nels Stewart, Bunny Ahearne-era administrators, and contemporaries who later joined the Hockey Hall of Fame fraternity. His tenure concluded as the NHL evolved, with post-career recognition connecting him to institutions including the Canadian Olympic Association and celebrations involving the Montreal Canadiens Alumni community.
Joliat's playing style was compared with contemporaries known for small stature and high competitiveness such as Charlie Conacher, Cooney Weiland, and Dit Clapper; his speed and puck control drew parallels to athletes from teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Maroons. Analysts and historians have contextualized his influence within broader hockey traditions that reference the Original Six era precursors, lineage including the Ottawa Senators (original), and later legends such as Maurice Richard and Jean Béliveau who perpetuated Montreal's offensive culture. Legacy discussions often link Joliat to the evolution of forward play shaped by coaches and tacticians resembling Dick Irvin, Hec Kilrea, and strategic shifts seen in matches against defensive stars like Eddie Shore and goaltenders like George Hainsworth and Clint Benedict.
Joliat's impact extends into commemorative practices overseen by entities such as the Hockey Hall of Fame, provincial sports halls in Quebec and Ontario, and historical works produced within media outlets like The Montreal Gazette and national institutions such as Library and Archives Canada. His style inspired later generations including players from francophone backgrounds exemplified by Yvan Cournoyer and Guy Lafleur.
His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame recognized achievements contemporaneous with other inductees such as Howie Morenz, Newsy Lalonde, Bobby Hull, and Gordie Howe. He was celebrated by the Montreal Canadiens organization alongside retired numbers and team honors connected to the Stanley Cup championship legacy. Provincial and municipal acknowledgments tied him to sporting halls and ceremonial events in Montreal, Ottawa, and Quebec City, where figures like Jean Drapeau and sports commissioners have presided over commemorations. Historical lists featuring Joliat often appear with players such as Syl Apps, Toe Blake, Dit Clapper, and Frank Boucher in curated exhibits and retrospectives.
Off the ice, Joliat's personal life intersected with Montreal society, francophone cultural institutions, and community organizations with connections to the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society and civic events overseen by municipal leaders in Montreal and Ottawa. After retirement he remained involved with alumni activities associated with the Montreal Canadiens and charity events referencing organizations like the Canadian Red Cross and local sports foundations. He lived through eras marked by World War II and the postwar expansion that affected professional sport, and he died in Montreal where his funeral and memorials involved teammates and figures from the hockey community including representatives from the Hockey Hall of Fame and the Canadiens' alumni network.
Category:1901 births Category:1986 deaths Category:Canadian ice hockey left wingers Category:Montreal Canadiens players Category:Hockey Hall of Fame inductees